E.Bay Scopes

[Tiny]

While Geoff mentions all the 'what should I buy' questions on Stargazers I also notice a lot of 'I have brought but how does it work' ones. Obviously a lot of people buy and only seek help if they can't make it work right or realise that even using a scope - or setting one up is not as easy as they imagined. Let's face it what might be obvious to us can seem a right rigmarol to a lot of the modern buyers who expect the scope to work instantly straight out the box.

When I started Patrick Moore had just published 'Making and Using a telescope' which told how to grind mirrors and the one LOndon shop we found that sold scopes offered a starter kit that had good lenses and mirror all fixed in wood and cardbord tubes. The mount was azimuthal - steel rod pillar fixed to wood mount which sat on a table and the scope siter was an aligned couple of curtain rings (the original Telerad). The point of this bit is that everyone was used to woodwork then and could point a camera so using a telescope was just a bit different from what you were used to. And once you were used to this beast you could move up to equitorial mounts, bigger scopes etc. (I built an equitorial wedge out of 4 bits of wood for my cardboard scope and a detachable cardboard sunbox to look at sunspots.) Now I agree that compared to today this was the stone age. But then we were stone age too and the kit was easy to use and simple to adapt.

Now - in the computer age - buying a scope is not such a familiar thing as it's not simply an extension of everyday used objects as it was back in the 60s. Now you get a shiny box full of promise - open it and inside is so much meccano and mysterious instructions about tripods, mounts, equitorials and all the rest. Things have to be aligned, collimated, adjusted. We know this can be done in daylight but do the instructions say so - so the first timer is out in the dark trying to make it all work. No wonder they can't make these scopes work - even if they get a good one. Full marks to those who do!

[RichieJarvis]

You are spot on with that analysis Tiny!

Most of us have learnt the hard way about buying the 'wrong' scope to do what we want - me included.

I started with a el-cheapo nature shop 3" reflector on an Alt/Az mount - terrible - absolutely terrible. The eyepieces were 0.75" as well, and cheap plastic things. But it got me and my ex-wife looking at Saturn and Jupiter. It didn't stay there long, as no drives, and very VERY rickety mount.

After my divorce, I decided to treat myself, and brought an 8" Newtonian (yep - I know - big jump!) on what I now know was an EQ5 mount. It was lovely, but apart from the obvious planets, I had NO idea where to point it, and didn't have anyone at the time to ask (before I discover societies, and I can't star-hop for toffee!) It also took me 30-60 minutes to setup/teardown and I couldn't see Polaris from the patio in my garden, so was no good at all for me.

So I decided to go for a Goto system. Got myself a Meade ETX-105, small scope - easy to setup (once I had spent AGES getting it wrong!) Once I got the hang of it though, I could lift the scope straight outside (it used to sit next to the front door), and be viewing in about 10-15 minutes. Perfect! It was heaven! However, best laid plans, and all that - I got a free LPI camera with it - I could image simple things - theres still a few images from my early ETX on my website - mostly planets though. At this point I started going to my local society, and people were talking about CCD's - being a computer freak, my ears perked up and I started researching.... Uh-oh.....

A DSI for my birthday later, and I was trying to image DSO's... Ooops - this scope isn't up to much now! I struggled on for ages (well, for me its ages!), checked around, listened to the wrong person in the shop, and was told, yup, the LX200R mount is the best there is for Astro Photography (no mention of a wedge!) I must admit, its my own stupid fault - I didn't do my research!

Anyway, cut a long story short, I brought one, and it was great - much better than my ETX, I could IMAGE! I kept that scope for 2 years - I was always happy with it, but also dissatisfied, if that makes sense? The images I was getting were not bad, I was using a DSLR by this time. I loved that scope - the visual observing was superb, lovely clear views, great! However, by this time I had been talking to other imagers - 3 things they told me - 1. Get an EQ mount for the most you can afford 2. Get a proper Monochrome CCD and filters, and 3. Get a refractor, you'll find it easier.

Well, its taken me 2 years, but I finally sold my LX200R last month, brought an EQ6, a 6" newt and an SXV-H9 CCD with the money. I already had a Williams Optics ZS66 from my attempts at guiding the LX, so I had my small refractor as well. I still couldn't quite giveup on the aperature, and go to 2 refractors though! After talking to folks though, it seems thats not too important - its more down to the F ratio and Focal length - both of which the LX and ETX scored very badly on.

What have I learnt from this? Well - I've learnt that its always doing ALOT of research (not something I am good at) and talking to people who know. I've also learnt not to trust what the guy in the shop says. And, I've learnt a hell of alot about different telescope types - what they are good for and what they aren't - how to setup fork mounts in alt-az and polar alignment, and now I've learnt how to setup a GEM properly - I've also learnt alot of the sky as well - purely by having to align to named stars

Still got lots to learn, but I am blown away by the results I am getting from the Newt and the SXV-H9 - its absolutely amazing.... I have used it every night I can so far - something that will ALL of my previous scopes just did not happen....

Am I happy with my choices? Yes - I don't think I would have got where I am today without the experience I gained doing it this way. Is this the right way to do it? christ NO!! :hello1:

Anyway - enough blather from me - my blue images should be done by now.....

[AstroTiger]

i totally agree, i purchased an instrument from ebay some years ago.

I had to remove a lense from the focus tube each time i wanted to collimate it.

It was a rich focus telescope as well.

Managed to see something with it.

i think when purchasing a telescope, first thing we need to ask ourselves is, what do we want it for?

Like buying a car or computer.

Other essential things might be to get to a star party to take a look first hand.

After all its a large investment, and once you will not wish to make again in a hurry.